The Gravity of the Moon
by FateRogue
Summary: Carina Black has to make a choice, a terrible one that could change her life forever. And she does. She makes it. It changes things: for better or for worse, that's up to you to decide.


**So, this is just a one-shot idea I had, the content of which you'll figure out soon. I reckon I'll let you go ahead and read to find out for now.**

" **When did I become so numb?  
When did I lose myself?  
All the words that leave my tongue  
Feel like they came from someone else  
I'm paralyzed  
Where are my feelings?  
I no longer feel things  
I know I should  
I'm paralyzed  
Where is the real me?  
I'm lost and it kills me - inside  
I'm paralyzed…"**

 **—NF**

Carina had thought that finally, things would be over. Finally, they'd get peace.

She was wrong. Now, she was in a situation she'd never thought she'd be in, being forced to make a choice that seemed impossible; she was trembling as she watched them, Amycus and Alecto Carrow. It was from fear just as much as it was fury, but it was not fear for herself—no, it was for the two girls they held at wandpoint, the girls she knew all too well.

Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood.

There was no way to save them, no way to do anything, not with these two utterly mad people ready to kill the two if she made a wrong move.

"You can take me," Carina forced through gritted teeth. "Leave them be."

"Why on earth would we do that?" inquired Amycus, as if they were talking about something simple such as the weather, or what to have for dinner. "We don't want _you."_

"We want you to suffer," finished Alecto, who suddenly grinned. "So, here's how it's going to be. You have thirty seconds to decide which one dies and which one lives. If you don't decide...well…"

"They both die."

"Exactly." The woman's grin dropped. "Tick tock, Black."

The raven haired girl used every bit of willpower to stop herself from quivering and raised a steady hand, wand ready, only to be stopped by Amycus jabbing his wand into Hermione's throat; the brunette squeaked.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Amycus trailed his wand along her neck, tone casual. "After all, there are far worse things than death."

Carina lowered her arm, but her fingers flexed along the handle as she clenched her jaw; she could not just let them die, but what other choice did she have?

Hermione and Luna were both staring at her, brown and silver eyes wide with understanding, and Luna flickered hers to Hermione in a clear message of, _It's okay. Pick her._

Carina swallowed hard. It was not that easy, not a choice that she could make lightly.

Hermione was her first love, first friend, her betrayer turned lover. In her early years it had been Hermione who helped her through her issues, Hermione who soothed her nightmares and got them out of many situations in which they might not have lived otherwise. Hermione had been there for her after her father was murdered, before Azkaban. And after Azkaban, Carina had found that her love for the brunette was unshakeable, no matter how hurt and angry she felt, because when it came down to it, she would always defend Hermione, always care for her. Hermione, with her bushy brown curls and penchant for reading perhaps a bit too much, the brightest witch of her age. After they had reconciled, it was Hermione who had held her when she would awaken screaming, Hermione who would keep her company on watch, and would take care of her when she was injured; Hermione, who accepted her flaws and faults and fought by her side for so long and had finally, _finally,_ came to confess that she loved Carina, too.

But then there was Luna. Luna, her light in the darkness, the one who had not been wary of her after coming back from Azkaban, who knew how dangerous Carina could be, how unpredictable, and made friends with her anyway. Luna, who could calm her with just a touch, who knew exactly what so say and exactly how she felt, who _understood_ on such deep levels that it was frightening at times; Luna, who said and believed odd things and comforted Carina when she was going out of her mind and who helped Carina to realize her feelings for Hermione. Luna, who would offer her a serene smile and never once get angry at things she said or did, who never asked for anything in return for the companionship she gave, who so selflessly helped her over and over and cared for Carina just as much as she did for the blonde. Luna...she was different. Their bond was different. Luna was...she was _family_. She was _home._

"Ten seconds," Alecto laughed, and the raven haired girl swallowed hard, feeling a sharp stinging behind her eyes, her vision blurring; she paid it no mind and blinked furiously for a moment.

 _Luna or Hermione...Merlin, I can't...they won't just kill one of them, they'll torture them anyway, I know it._

"Seven," drawled Amycus almost boredly.

"Six!"

"Five."

Carina could feel her entire body begin to shake as she raised her wand again, choice clear in mind. She could not even aim correctly, she was trembling so furiously, and she could only barely feel the wetness on her cheeks.

"Four!"

 _I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, so, so sorry…please forgive me…_

Luna stared at her, understanding clear in her eyes, and Hermione was giving her a near identical look of her own, one clear of judgement as she straightened, turning to exchange a look with the blonde. Both nodded to one another after that moment, both obviously thinking it was the other who would be picked.

Only one was correct.

"Three."

Carina choked on the lump that had appeared in her throat, and she was only vaguely aware of her lips moving in murmured apologies, frantically being repeated over and over just as they were in her head, heart pounding hard in her ears.

"Two!"

She tightened her grip on her wand and aimed it at it's target. _I won't let them hurt you. Never again._

"One."

" _Avada Kedavra."_

And then, indescribable agony.

~~~xxx~~~

Luna Lovegood stared in shock as Hermione Granger crumpled to the ground, brown eyes wide and unseeing, when just moments before, they had been filled with so many emotions at once as she straightened her back and tipped her chin up in a show of bravado that both knew she really did not feel.

As she watched Carina Black let out an anguished howl and drop her wand, falling to her knees, she felt someone push her forward and heard two distinct cracks-her captors were gone.

Luna realized something then, in the way Hermione had been looking at her with the clearest of messages, _Take care of her._

The blonde knew she had been giving the older witch much the same look, but had nevertheless nodded at her, and Hermione had nodded back; Luna had been prepared to die. She had been prepared to be killed so that Carina could finally have the chance at happiness she deserved, so that she could _finally_ have the peace she had worked so hard for and never before experienced. She had been ready to die at the hands of Alecto Carrow, but…

Her death had never came. Instead, Carina had leveled her wand at Hermione, trembling furiously as she mumbled, over and over again, just barely loud enough to hear, " _I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, please forgive me, please please please, I'm sorry, Iloveyou, please…"_ And then, Hermione had seemed to be steeling herself as her partner turned her head, closed her eyes, and uttered those fateful words, voice strangled, " _Avada Kedavra."_

And now...she was gone. But what struck Luna was that Hermione _knew._ She had known who Carina would pick from the very beginning when Luna herself had been positive it would be Hermione who would live, who would piece Carina together after her death.

But instead, it looked like the blonde would be the one doing so again, and this time alone.

Carefully, she approached Carina and knelt beside her; the older girl was hunched over, fingers digging into the ground as raven hair spilled around her face. Luna brushed aside most of it, and when red rimmed, watery gray eyes looked up at her, she took in the tear stained cheeks and felt a stab of pain.

She had lost a friend. Carina had lost a lover.

"I couldn't let them hurt her," the raven haired witch managed, shaking her head furiously as she curled her fingers farther into the dirt, chest heaving. "I couldn't. Not again. Never again."

"Carina…" murmured Luna, feeling her own eyes well with tears, despair for what had been done and the life that had been lost overtaking her.

"I had to," Carina leaned back over, shutting her eyes tightly. "They wouldn't have...they'd have t-tortured her first. I couldn't. I had to. And I had to save you. I couldn't let them take you, either. I need you."

 _She chose me...oh, Carina..._

The blonde reached out for her, but hesitated and dropped her hand when the other girl choked, quivering body tensing; Luna barely had time to grab Carina's hair before she began to vomit, and soon, that escalated into dry heaving and strangled sobs.

All Luna could do was pull her closer, bury her face in Carina's hair, and try to hold herself together for her friend.

~~~xxx~~~

"Do you want to see her?"

The words were uttered by Harry tentatively a few days later, and at first, Carina looked as though she were about to say no, but then seemed to reconsider. Everyone else at the funeral was dressed immaculately, and so was she, to a point, in her dark muggle clothing and black cloak, hair curling around her shoulders; she looked, as Luna had heard many whisper, like the angel of death.

There were dark circles under her eyes, and her normally fair skin was paler than normal, making the scar on her face stand out as she nodded once and brushed by Harry, slowly approaching the coffin; he had understood the reasons for Hermione's death, as had Ginny and the other Weasleys, bar Ron. Ron...he had went ballistic on her, screaming about how he knew he shouldn't have trusted her to protect Hermione, and Carina had just stood there, the fire drained out of her, and stared.

Carina stood by the open casket, at Hermione, who lay inside, looking striking in her white dress with her hair done in glossy curls; Luna stood by and watched as, for a moment, her friend's face filled with reverence as she merely gazed down at the brunette. Her eyes roved over her lover's lifeless form, and then she carefully reached out a hand.

Pale fingertips brushed an equally pale cheek, and then Carina recoiled as though bitten, any outward sign of the previous display of near worshipfulness replaced by a mask of horror, gray eyes wide as she backed away and rushed past Luna out of the room, leaving many staring after her with pity.

Luna followed.

She found her standing outside in the rain, hair plastered to her head, which was bowed, fists clenched. Luna came to stand by her silently, watching and waiting. She knew better than to push, especially at a time like this, when she was hurting so deeply, far worse than anyone else; the past few days had been hard for her. She hardly ate, and had barely gotten any sleep; if she did, always woke up after a particularly terrible nightmare with Hermione's name on her lips, and Luna would have to attempt to soothe her.

She had been hurt before, torn down and beaten. But now she was broken, and that much was clear.

Luna suppressed a shiver as the rain hit her, but did not otherwise move, only watched; she had wished on more than one occasion that it was she who had been killed and not Hermione, if only so that Carina would not be in as much pain.

 _But that's not entirely true,_ a voice within her whispered. _She would still be in pain, still be devastated. She chose you because she needed you, because she couldn't bear for you to die after everything you had done for her, after how much she had come to care for you._

The blonde's eyes fell upon the trembling fists to the weary gray eyes, which had long since snapped to her face and held themselves there; Carina blinked once, and Luna could feel something soft and warm drape over her shoulders. It was not Carina's cloak-it was an entirely different one conjured by wandless magic.

"I'm sorry," Luna finally said softly, reaching carefully for the raven haired girl's hand. She offered no resistance and allowed her to lace their fingers together; Carina's were freezing.

"She was so cold," Carina whispered instead, and a regretful look crossed her face as she averted her eyes. "I remember her being different, warm...I forgot bodies were supposed to be cold like that." She was silent for a long few moments and ducked her head. "I didn't care about the others. None of them mattered—I couldn't feel it, feel _them._ But her...she's everywhere. In my head, out here," she waved a hand, and then ran it through her hair, voice low and bitter. "everywhere. I know it's not her. It's me. I'm not that far gone, not that daft. But it's still…"

"Frightening."

"Disconcerting."

"Frightening," the blonde concluded, to which Carina sighed and nodded.

"Yes," she admitted reluctantly. "Terrifying." Her grip on Luna's hand hardened, but the younger witch did not mind. "I can't...what's more terrifying is that I don't regret it."

Frowning, if a bit startled, Luna peered up at her with furrowed brows. "You don't?"

"No." Carina swallowed and glanced over at her, both ignoring the rain coming down rather hard on their heads. Gray eyes, gleaming suspiciously, roved over her face. "Because you're alive." A muscle worked in her jaw, and Luna knew that she was trying to stop herself from shedding anymore tears; her efforts were failing, however, because the blonde could see, even with the raindrops on her skin, the liquid leaking from her eyes and sliding down her cheeks. "I don't regret that. I can't. Doesn't mean I'm not torn apart with guilt because she's gone. I said I'd protect her, and now look," she laughed harshly. "I killed her. I turned my wand on her and-and—"

She stopped, and a strangled half sob, half growl escaped her as she turned her head away, clamping her mouth shut.

"I didn't want it to come to this," Luna could feel her own sorrow hit her and shuffled closer to the raven haired girl, who at first stood stiff, but then detached their hands and pulled Luna into her arms, chin on her shoulder. Luna could feel a wetness hit her neck, but she did not mention that, nor did she particularly mind as her breath hitched. "I wanted you to be happy, Carina. I wanted you to be with Hermione, build a life together…"

"What's done is done," came the murmur against her neck, and Carina held her tighter. "It can't be taken back. Ever. I-I have to move on."

 _Will you ever be able to?_ Luna wondered, and felt the raven haired girl's body seize as she forced back what could only be a sob; it was sad, watching her attempt to hold back her sorrow for Luna, when Luna wanted to help so badly…

"I don't know." The blonde did not realize she had said that aloud, if inaudibly. "She was special. She...she made me feel so happy, Luna…"

There was the crushing guilt weighing upon Luna Lovegood then, who tensed ever so slightly, but just enough for Carina to notice and press a kiss to the side of her neck, fingers running through her soaked blonde locks in a soothing motion.

"I'm sorry."

 _You have no idea how much. I'm so sorry, Carina…_

"Don't be," the older witch, to her credit, did not mind that she was being held in the vice like grip of her friend, and instead lifted Luna into her arms, allowing the younger girl to wrap her legs around her waist. Luna felt mildly like a child, but in that moment did not care. Carina knew what they both needed, what the raven haired girl herself so desperately wanted—to get away, far away from here. To go home. Just before they apparated away, Carina finished her sentence, "you're alive. That's what matters. I've got you."

And then, they were gone.

~~~xxx~~~

A week after the funeral, and it was late in the middle of the night when Luna could hear Carina thrashing about in the bed beside her in the cottage she had bought, not wanting to go back to Grimmauld Place yet, where there were memories of her father and also of Hermione, those still fresh upon her.

Carina turned this way and that, head tossing from side to side as her whimper escalated to a low whine and then a pained moan as she writhed on the bed, and Luna sat up and quickly leaned over to shake her.

"Carina." she tried, and then louder, "Carina, it's just a nightmare, come back to me, please!"

Hazy gray eyes snapped open and Luna found herself being flipped over onto her back, Carina hovering over her and pinning her down, obviously unaware of who she had grabbed; the blonde was not bothered and only lay there under her, waiting.

After a few moments, those eyes blinked furiously and then the other girl rolled off her, raven hair strewn about her head, the dark circles under her eyes more pronounced, sweat beaded on her brow, and legs tangled in the sheets, which had been ripped off Luna at some point during the time the dream had started. She was shaking from head to toe, her hands especially, and she buried her face between her knees.

"It was only a nightmare," Luna repeated softly, edging closer. "It's not real. You're safe."

These were words she had repeated a great many times now, and she often wondered if this was how Hermione felt when this had happened, though she doubted they came this often and were perhaps not as strong.

"The fire," Carina said hoarsely, voice muffled as she had not moved from her position. Her tense form had begun to gradually relax, however, when Luna ran her hand through Carina's hair over and over again in a soothing motion. "The green lightning. Dad, Mom, Remus, Tonks, and then...her. I do it again and again and," she lifted her head and let out a frustrated breath. "I can't stop it. It gets worse every time. I miss her so much, Lune." She must have seen something on Luna's face akin to tiredness, because she sighed. "I'm sorry for waking you again. And attacking you."

Luna smiled wearily. "I know. It's alright—I don't mind." And she didn't, not really. Carina mattered more to her right now, when she needed her most. If she could not be there for her during these times and fulfill her promise to Hermione, what kind of person would she be? "Though it would be nice if you didn't hog the covers, you know."

The lightly teasing jab had the raven haired girl's lips twitch slightly as she reached up a hand to brush the blonde's hair aside and out of her face. "I don't suppose you'll forgive me?"

They both knew it was not just for something so trivial as hogging the covers. "Always."

And then, Carina actually did smile. It was small, if a bit half-hearted, but a genuine one nonetheless and she pulled Luna into her arms, laying them both back and adjusting the blankets over them; Luna did not mind this, either. In fact, she rather enjoyed it, and a fond smile came across her as she sank into the embrace, and the older witch buried her face in Luna's hair and held her tighter.

Luna Lovegood fell asleep to the scent of vanilla and pine needles.

~~~xxx~~~

Carina and Luna stood in Diagon Alley, being bombarded by the press as they attempted to make their way through to meet with Harry and Ginny; this was exactly why they had not come out in public for awhile, a month, as a matter of fact. The press.

Questions were being shouted, particularly at Carina, ranging from, "Is it true you killed Hermione Granger?" to "Are the two of you in a relationship?" and many other rather personal and invasive questions.

Carina's fingers were trembling, and Luna could see her right forearm flex, as though to flick out her wand, and quickly took her hand and shook her head once; the raven haired girl stared down at her intensely, but before she could so much as nod, they were shoved apart by the press.

Reporters swarmed them both, and they were so loud, screaming one question after the other, that Luna actually flinched. She could just barely make out Carina being interrogated again, and could see her eyes begin to darken and actually redden; it was something of an intimidation factor, using her metamorphmagus powers against someone, but it only made the people ask more questions. One even accused her of being the next Dark Lord, which was utterly absurd.

"Excuse me," Luna attempted politely, attempting to shove by them to get to her friend, only to be pushed back again. Her patience was wearing thin, especially as more accusations came. " _Let me through!"_

She scowled when they would not let her move through. This was only growing more and more irritating by the second, and she decided that enough was enough. She did not like to see people hassling Carina this way, nor see her upset by this confrontation, and so she pulled out her wand and leveled it at the people directly in her path; they all flew out of the way, clearing a path for her, and Luna was satisfied as she walked through calmly.

Magic was not just about spells. It was also about intent, and her intent had been to move them; it worked.

Carina's eyes immediately lightened when she saw her, and she dropped the man the had been holding by the collar of his shirt, and he took this chance to scramble away.

The older witch's mouth hung open ever so slightly, but then shut when Luna finally came to a stop in front of her.

"Shall we go see Harry and Ginny, then?" she asked casually, though she could feel a small smile work its way onto her lips at the impressed look Carina gave her.

"Yeah," the raven haired girl managed, and walked alongside her, casting glares at anyone who got too close. When they reached the Leaky Cauldron, she glanced over at Luna. "Thank you."

"They were distressing you. They shouldn't have gotten so close, and they certainly shouldn't have been asking such insensitive questions. I suppose I got a little irritated, you see, and then…"

"You made them move." Carina's lips twitched as they entered the bar, searching for their friends. She did not speak again, not right away, even after they sat down across from Harry and Ginny at a table.

"So, what happened out there?" Ginny inquired, sipping on her butterbeer; Harry, it appeared, had already ordered for them. "It looked chaotic."

"The reporters swarmed us," informed Luna, pausing. "and separated us. They were all being so frustrating, I couldn't help but...well, I moved them, you see. With magic."

The redhead looked rather angry, but seemed to force it aside and cast her friend a proud grin. "I always knew you had it in you, Luna."

"Are you two alright?" Harry asked, his eyes flickering from Luna to Carina, before finally settling on the raven haired girl, who laid her chin in her palm and nodded once. "Good.. I could always try to get them to stop, but…" He shrugged helplessly. "I don't think it would work."

"Well, now, if they decide to pull a stunt like this and we're out there with you, they won't get away with it," Ginny fiercely told them, and Harry smiled at her.

"They won't," he agreed with his girlfriend, and Luna could feel Carina flinch ever so slightly beside her at their relaxed postures, the adoring looks when one of them was not looking. It had to sting, to see something she could have had but now could not, and Luna felt that small bit of guilt begin to gnaw at her and bit her lip.

"Thank you," she looked between them and nevertheless spoke. "How have you been?"

As the couple began to regale the two of the rebuilding of Hogwarts and other such stories, like how their friends were doing and such, Luna could suddenly feel a hand creep onto her leg, and she did not have to look down to know that it was Carina's.

Carefully, she curled her hand through Carina's, and the raven haired girl glanced briefly at her, squeezed her hand gratefully, and took a swig of butterbeer.

"So, yeah," Harry finished. "How're things with you two? How...How are _you,_ Carina?"

Luna knew that he did not hold a grudge against her for Hermione's death, and neither did Ginny, no matter how much it hurt them both. It hurt them _all,_ really, still to this day. She was thankful he cared enough to check up on her, but that did not mean she didn't notice the grip on her hand tighten.

"Fine," Carina answered evenly, jaw working for a moment, before she decided to speak again. "Maybe."

"It will take time," he nodded in understanding, eyes filling with sorrow. "Carina...I miss her, too. She was my best friend."

"And she was my girlfriend," the bitter chuckle fell past Carina's lips, and Luna felt a wave of worry wash over her. "I killed her. I bloody well killed her."

She hadn't said that aloud in awhile, and it drew Luna back to that day, when Carina had not been able to watch it happen, how she had turned her head and closed her eyes before speaking the two words that would change their lives forever.

Relapsing was something she had expected. She had been waiting for it, and here it was; the hand in hers trembled furiously.

Harry and Ginny went silent, for they did not know what to say. Luna offered them both an apologetic smile and stood, excusing them, "I think we should get going. It was nice to see you both again."

They said their goodbyes, and the moment Carina and Luna were back in the cottage, the raven haired girl slammed her fist through the wall; Luna would have to spend several minutes after patching up various holes and mending broken furniture, and then move on to bandaging her best friend's hands.

Later, Carina would fall into her embrace and cry, and Luna would hold her tightly until her sobs subsided, when she would slowly drift off to sleep in her arms, tear stained cheek pressed to Luna's shoulder.

~~~xxx~~~

It was Luna's birthday, and she had awoken to find Carina gone. It had not worried her much, at first, but as the time had worn on and the other girl had not come back, she had begun to grow concerned. So, when Harry popped out of their fireplace and invited her to dinner, she immediately declined.

"I have to wait for Carina," she said firmly. "She isn't back yet."

"I talked to her earlier," Harry told her lightly. "She said to come over, and that she'd be over later. Molly is already cooking you a birthday feast, you wouldn't want that to go to waste, would you? It's your seventeenth."

"I…" If what he said was true and Carina had indeed said she would be there, then she would. So, Luna agreed. "Alright."

She followed Harry through the fireplace and came stumbling out behind him into the Burrow; she would have fallen, if not for a pair of slender arms catching her quickly.

When she was sat upright, she could see Carina staring down at her, gray eyes glinting in the light as everyone shouted, "Surprise!"

The Weasleys were all there, of course, and Neville and Harry as well. Everyone looked happy for her, and it was true, there really _was_ a feast laid out, and a large, homemade cake shaped like what she had long ago described to Carina as a nargle. It was not accurate, but she could see it well enough and felt a smile spread across her face.

"We're happy to have you, Luna, dear!" Mrs. Weasley greeted warmly, ushering her to the table. She was pushed gently into a seat, and a pile of presents fell down before her. It was not a lot, but it was certainly something, and she loved every single one she opened.

There was a tap to her head after she had opened them all, and she turned in her chair to find Carina holding out a small box; she took it with furrowed brows and opened it.

There, inside the box, lay a simple yet beautiful circular necklace, its outer ring lined with diamonds and the center swirling like what she would imagine the galaxies above them to look like. It was truly extraordinary, and Luna could feel her smile return as she put it on.

"While it's traditional for a wizard to get a watch," Mr. Weasley explained. "It varies for witches. Carina wanted to do something special for you, so she organized the party."

A feeling of warmth spread through Luna's chest as Carina pulled up a chair beside her and sat down, ducking her head as she continued on for the man, "I made the necklace myself, for the most part. The middle, anyway. It took a lot of spellcasting. Whatever constellation, planet, or anything of that sort you visualize will appear there; anything in the sky."

"It's amazing," breathed Luna, turning fully to face her friend. She was touched, and briefly wondered where Carina had even gotten the time to do this since they were always together, but resolved to ask later.

"Not nearly as much as you, Lune." The words were so quiet that no one else had heard them, but the blonde did, and she felt that familiar warmth spread through her again.

When the festivities and dinner were over, long after when it had turned dark, Carina apparated them back home, but not into the cottage; no, they were sitting on the roof, feeling the cool air hit them. It was then that Carina turned to her and smiled.

It was not a particularly wide one, but it was impressive nonetheless considering Luna had not seen her actually, properly smile for ages, not since Hermione.

"You liked it, I suppose?" Carina glanced over at her and quirked a brow.

Luna laughed lightly. "I loved it, Carina. Thank you."

"You deserved it," the raven haired girl reclaimed her hand. "having to put up with me for so long. I'm sure I've put you through hell and I probably will again, so I'll apologize in advance."

"I don't mind." Luna tilted her head to the side and watched her, her own smile appearing again. It was peaceful on the roof, and now she could see why Carina had always told her about how she snuck off to the Weasleys roof many a time while staying there. "You're my best friend. I owe you so much…"

"I owe _you."_ The older witch shook her head, letting out a breath. "You helped me so much after Azkaban, and even now," she raised their conjoined hands. "here you are. Still here. And it's not because you owe me your life or some bloody thing like that."

"It's not," Luna agreed calmly. She studied Carina for a moment. The girl did not look quite as worse for wear as she had the past months, but she was still not quite up to par. She was not, not mentally. Her nightmares were still frequent and she sometimes would wake up from one and vomit; it was sad, to see her affected so deeply. "It's because I care about you."

"Good." Carina turned her gaze away from Luna's and pointed up. "There's Sirius."

Luna followed her line of sight, and so on they went, naming constellations that they knew as they spent the night on a rooftop. Neither slept that night, but they did not mind. They were together, and that was what mattered.

~~~xxx~~~

It was two years later when Andromeda Tonks died of a heart attack and joined her husband and daughter in the afterlife, and it was then that Carina Black gained custody of little Teddy Lupin, who was by then two-years-old.

The nineteen-year-old had visited the boy before, of course, but was not in the right frame of mind to take him, nor did she want to remove him from his beloved grandmother.

He had nightmares, too. Normal ones that children would have, but nightmares nonetheless, and when he would awaken crying for his grandmother, Carina would scoop him up and carry him to bed with her, to which Luna had awakened many times to her lying on her back, the little boy sound asleep on her chest; Carina's own nightmares dwindled.

With Teddy around, her mind was far more occupied because she had to look after him, and though she occasionally would relapse or have a nightmare, it was not as bad as the first year and few months after that; those had been the worst. But the boy helped, and he gradually grew used to his new home and his "Rina" as he called her.

That had been rather nostalgic for the girl, because the only one who had called her that had been Hermione, really, and it had made her freeze and nearly drop him the first time he said it. Now, Luna supposed, she was used to it, and took it all in stride; she liked to watch Carina and Teddy together. You would think the raven haired girl would not be good with children, but it was certainly an interesting development when the two would play together. He would jump on her back, and she would hoist him onto her shoulders and jog around the room, not minding that he grabbed fistfuls of her hair and squealed and shrieked in her ears.

She grew to love him, and he, her.

Luna loved them both...perhaps a bit more than she should.

~~~xxx~~~

Teddy had just turned six, and Harry and Ginny had had their first child together since getting married the year before, James Sirius Potter. The marriage had been a splendid, quiet enough affair filled with friends and family, with Ron as the best man, Luna as maid of honor, Teddy as the ring bearer, and Carina, Gabrielle Delacour (yet again), and little Victoire Weasley (Bill and Fleur's eldest child) as bridesmaids.

Carina watched her, now, interacting eagerly with Teddy, her younger, four-year-old sister, Dominique, and their cousin Molly (named after her grandmother). Baby James and two-year-old Louis Weasley had been sat in a spot with the other Weasley children their age, so that they could be kept an eye on.

"Knut for your thoughts?" Luna inquired teasingly, moving to where Carina leaned against the wall, eyes not once straying from her godson.

"Do you think we're doing an alright job?" the raven haired girl asked, furrowing her brows as she watched him. "That _I_ am? You didn't have a mother, and I didn't have parents at all until thirteen…"

"I think," the blonde took her hand, and it was then that Carina turned her head. "that the two of us, especially you, are doing a fine job."

"Luna," Carina stared at her for a moment. "You need to—"

She was cut off by the polite greeting from Rolf Scamander, a good friend of Harry's who the man had invited along; he had brought Teddy a large stuffed dragon, which the boy loved.

"Hello," he smiled at them, though his eyes remained on Luna. "Wonderful day, isn't it? There are certainly a lot of children around—I'm afraid I'm not quite used to it yet."

"It becomes normal," Luna could not help but laugh lightly. "And yes, it really is very pretty out today. There couldn't have been a better day picked for the party."

The man agreed, nodding, but then his smile faltered and he shuffled on his feet a bit nervously, ducking his head. "Listen, I-I've been meaning to ask you, ever since I saw you out and about...well, Harry's told me so much about you, and I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind terribly going out to dinner sometime."

It was endearing, really, the way he had asked so shyly. He was not bad looking, and a bit of an adventurer, and made a good living; he also seemed like a very nice man.

But Luna could not even concede to one date, because her feelings, as she had long since discovered, lie elsewhere.

"I'm so sorry," the blonde pulled him aside and away from Carina, who she could see watching them with sharp eyes. Luna offered him an apologetic smile, and then fingered the necklace she had been given six years ago and never taken off. She truly did feel bad for this. "But my feelings...they're directed elsewhere, you see." She paused and watched as he straightened, cheeks flushing a bit. "Perhaps we could be friends?"

She expected him to get angry, or turn her down, but instead Rolf smiled again and held out his hand. "I understand. That sounds nice; friends it is."

She shook his hand, feeling more than a little relieved, and excused herself as she made her way back to Carina's side.

The raven haired girl pushed herself off the wall and crossed her arms, questioning, "And how did that go?"

"I turned him down," Luna answered honestly, studying Carina. She seemed rather calm.

"Luna, look," Carina looked away. "what I was trying to say earlier was that you don't have to take care of me anymore. You should go out and live your life, have some fun, find the right person, you know? I'll be fine."

She noticed, then, that the calmness of the other woman was merely a facade and could see her quivering fingers, the gnawing of her lip, and then the muscles working in her jaw. Carina wanted her to leave, to be happy, and that was more than appreciated by Luna. But, that was not what she wanted.

She _wanted_ to stay by Carina's side, like she had been for years, because she had discovered something about herself.

Luna Lovegood loved Carina Black.

Not in the normal sense. Not in the way she had when they were teenagers, or even in the sense of when they were both twenty and twenty-one respectively.

No, this was different. This love was more in an, 'I want to kiss you but I can't,' sort of way. In an, 'I want to marry you,' sort of way.

So as she said, different.

"I'll be fine," the raven haired woman repeated when she did not answer, finally turning to look at her as she rested her hands on Luna's shoulders and squeezed. "You've done enough for me."

"I don't want to leave," said Luna finally. "Or find someone to be with."

She knew her next words would be a shock and had no real idea how this would be taken, for Carina still loved Hermione Granger to this very day, was still haunted by her death despite having come to better terms with it over the years. But, Luna had been feeling this way for over a year now, and Carina had always been her best friend, so she very well couldn't keep it a secret any longer, or lie to her.

Carina frowned. "What _do_ you want, then?"

"You." The blonde watched as a myriad of emotions crossed Carina's face, ranging from regret to shock to understanding, and something Luna could not quite put her finger on before the other woman's face went blank.

"Me?" The raven haired witch's voice was controlled, though there was a strange edge to it Luna had not heard before. It was not the angry one she developed, the one that warned people there would be consequences if they crossed her; this was different. "Luna—"

"It's mad, I know," Luna winced as the hands on her shoulders fell away. "But, you see, I just couldn't lie to you about it—what sort of friend would I be? I haven't felt this way long, you don't have to fret about that, but…"

"You're a bloody lunatic."

"I know."

"Bonkers."

"I know."

"Completely mad."

"I know."

"Luna?"

"Yes?"

Carina reached up to run a hand through Luna's hair as she responded quietly, calmly, "I think I want you, too."

"What about Hermione?" Luna frowned slightly, not letting herself feel the happiness she should in this moment as she remembered her friend, who Carina had loved fiercely.

"I'll always love Hermione," came the murmur from the other woman, who seemed lost in thought for a moment. "Always. I still love her now, so much that it hurts, sometimes. I'll never forget her. But to this day I still can't regret what I did, no matter how it may haunt me, because you're here. My best friend." She blinked and refocused her attention on Luna. "I...you'll have to bear with me, if you decide not to leave, I mean, there's been something I've been meaning to—"

"Auntie Rina?" a loud whisper interrupted her, and she glanced down to find Teddy Lupin tugging at her shirt. He was obviously trying to be discreet, but failing terribly. "I'm supposed to give you the ring now, right?"

"—ask you," finished Carina a bit lamely, lips twitching up into a small smile as she took the small ring from the boy. It was simple enough, a band with a diamond embedded in the center (diamonds, like her necklace), and her eyes found Luna's.

"A girl can't propose, Ted!" Victoire, who had ambled over, spoke hushedly, hand over one side of her mouth like it would hide her words as she leaned toward him. "Grand-mere says so!"

"Your Grandm...Gran.." the boy struggled, before puffing out his chest and blowing his blue hair from his eyes. "Your granny's never met my aunt! She can do anything, even pr'pose, right, Auntie Rina?"

Carina stared at him for a moment, her eyes flickering to Luna and then her expectant godson, before she slowly lowered herself to her knees and held the ring up. The soft snort that escaped her did not go unnoticed by Luna, who was, quite frankly, smiling wider than she ever thought possible.

"Since apparently I can do anything," Carina gazed up at her, brow quirked. Luna did not miss her fingers twitch anxiously. "I suppose I can marry you?"

 _Hermione,_ thought Luna. _Wherever you are, if you're watching this...I'm doing like I promised. I'm taking care of her. And she's taking care of me, too._

"Yes," Luna accepted, and the smile returned when Carina's relieved face then broke into a full out grin (of which she had only just begun seeing ever since Teddy had come to live with them) as she stood.

As the blonde allowed Carina to slip the ring onto her finger (and then proceed to pull a matching one from her pocket and slide it onto her _own_ finger), she could hear little Teddy Lupin saying to Victoire Weasley, "See? I told you she can do anything!"

The raven haired woman reached out to ruffle his hair and then pulled the younger witch in for a tight hug, dropping a kiss to the top of her head.

It was then that Luna Lovegood felt as though her life were complete, for through all the hardships, all the pain and devastation that had been wrought down upon them, she still had her best friend and now, the person she would spend the rest of her life with.

Somewhere, she felt, Hermione Granger was smiling.

 **To explain the title: Luna means moon, and the gravity of the moon pulls stuff in, like how Luna would pull Carina in over time. I decided to make this entirely Luna's P.O.V. though for some sort of change. And, it definitely is.**

 **It's long, I know. I didn't wanna make a two-shot, so this is sorta what happened and one way it would go if that situation arose. Or, maybe. I don't know, really. I tried, I think it ended up alright. I know a few Luna/Carina shippers out there and I hope you guys like this huge thing. :P Please keep in mind to review, I need some feedback on this!**


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